


Caution Tape

by nextweekforsure



Series: Check, Please! Ficlets [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Drinking, Homophobia, Kent is sad again what's new, No Romance, Other, no happiness, only pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 22:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13176477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nextweekforsure/pseuds/nextweekforsure
Summary: Jack kisses his boyfriend on T.V., and Kent ponders a lot of things.





	Caution Tape

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Caution Tape" by Tiny Moving Parts! Songs that I shuffled while writing were: "Pretense" by Knuckle Puck, and "Randy, I Am the Liquor" by Free Throw!

The cup went up and down from player to player as they took their trip across the rink. Most buckled with the weight of it, having never won it before, but adjusted quickly. Kent remembered that from his first time winning. He almost fell over -- he was young, short, and a bit weaker than most of the guys on his team.

 

He didn’t remember much else about winning the cup, because even at 19, it was a party. Everyone got so fucked up that night, and woke up feeling horrible for the pressers. It was worth it, but it felt shitty. It was an experience.

 

He hoped that Jack had felt it, too.

 

Kent was intensely watching the replays of the game highlights on the big bar screens. He was vaguely aware of Carly standing behind him, Scrappy to his left, and Swoops off to his right somewhere, but the blond’s attention was locked to the rookie who had won the Stanley Cup his first year in the NHL.

 

Kent finished off his drink and waved to order up a new one. 

 

The same clip played over and over on each and every screen, which was not surprising, in the least, but for Kent, still unwelcome. It was the game-winning shot, fired with less than a minute left in overtime. His eyes darted to another T.V., which was playing a clip of Jack skating around the rink,  _ Stanley Cup Champions  _ hat on his head, and cup held high. 

 

“Hey, Parser, you see this?” Scrappy asked, waving his phone.

 

“It’s on the screens, Scraps,” Kent said, slight anger visible in his voice. 

 

“Naw, look. It’s all over social media.” He handed his phone over to Kent, who, without glasses and while drunk, had to squint to get the image into focus. 

 

His hands shook as he saw what was on the screen — Jack, kissing a short blond dude. Kent recognized him from the Kegster that he had crashed a couple years ago.

 

“So he’s gay or whatever?” he heard Carly start, noise fading into the background quickly as he concentrated more and more on the picture.

 

Jack had just come out by kissing someone that wasn’t him.

 

Kent wasn’t mad, but he was sad, tired, and a bit scared. Jack was going to be in the middle of a media blitz, and so was his boyfriend. In the process, Jack might get hurt. Homophobic players on other teams might target him, too. That’s the reason that Kent hadn’t come out — he didn’t know what his teammates or the opposition would think. 

 

The more Kent thought about it, the more terrified he felt. He and Jack had been in a relationship, and even though it was a long time ago, the media would likely still bring it up.

 

Kent finished off the remaining half of his fourth drink, and ordered a refill. Someone had left a shot unattended, so he drank that too. He handed Scrappy’s phone back.

 

Carly was still talking, bashing Jack in the most respectful way possible, mainly for being gay, but also for his overdose. Kent hated it, so he stood up, grabbed the newly replenished drink, and walked over to an empty booth in the corner, where all of the screens were hidden by heads, tables, and seats. He buried his head in his hands, hoping that the thoughts would just stop coming.

 

No, Kent wasn’t mad that Jack won the cup or kissed someone that wasn’t him.

 

Kent was mad that Jack won in life, and he didn’t. 

 

He drank again.

 

Jack had a Stanley Cup. So did Kent. Jack had a team that loved and supported him, that  _ knew  _ that he wasn’t straight, and that were okay with his sexuality. Kent didn’t have that — he  _ couldn’t  _ have that. He knew that a lot of the guys on the Aces were pretty big homophobes, and some of the guys support gay people, but only when it is convenient. Enough of the guys on his team were assholes to force Kent to stay closeted. 

 

Jack had his friends from college. Kent had the Aces, and random people that he’d met at bars. None of them knew about his struggles, or even gave a shit about what he was going through. Kent certainly hadn’t been asked how he was doing in years. 

 

Since... Jack. 

 

To be fair to his teammates, if they had asked him, he would have lied and said that he was okay. He finished off his drink. He’d have to go to the bar for more. 

 

Jack obviously had a boyfriend. One that loved him enough to come out on national television with him, who would jeopardize his happiness to be able to hold hands with his boyfriend in public. He probably knew that he would be scrutinized by the media for it, but he did it for Jack, and himself. 

 

No one loved Kent enough to do more than tell him “good game.” Kent would go home alone, hold his cat, and fall asleep on the couch in a drunken haze, waking up the next morning only to a text from his coach, asking why he wasn’t at practice. Sometimes, he and his teammates would go out together, but that was rare, and most of the time, they ended up pissing Kent off. His only hugs happened in cellies, and he was only kissed when he was hooking up with a stranger, generally in a completely different city. 

 

Kent didn’t cry that night because Jack was in love with someone else.

 

Kent cried because it was the first time that he realized he was truly alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow! Sad! 
> 
> I feel so bad for Kent. I'm so happy for Jack and Bitty, though! I hope there's no repercussions to them coming out, and that no one is an asshole!
> 
> If you can't tell, Kent is not doing great. Y'all know the panel -- the eyes man???? I feel bad for him. I hope he doesn't try and come for Jack and Bitty, but obviously, that's Ngozi's choice. 
> 
> How'd the update make you feel? Comment below?
> 
> Leave kudos and comments if you liked, or want to see something different? Y'all rock!!!!


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